The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-12-09

CANT operations will be made for the purpose OF
avoiding the accumulation of excess Of revenue.
Such expenditure, besides the decentralization or
all just conceptions OF public duty which 1t en-
tails, emulates q reckless improvdence not In
the least consistent with the mission OF our poo
pie or the high benehcent purposes OF our gov
have deemed 1t my duty thus to bring to the
knowledge OF my countrymen as well as TO the
attention OF their representatives to the respon'
sibilty OF legislative relief, the gravity of our
financial situation. The failure OF the congress
heretofore to provide against the danger which
il was quite evident the very nature OF the diff
fculty must necessary produce. caused condi-
ton Cf financial distress and apprehension since
their last adjournment which taxed TO the ut
most all tho authority and expedients within ex-
ecutive control and these appear now to DO OK,
hausted. II disaster results from the continued
inaction OF congress the responsibility must rest
where it belongs.
which should be fully realized, and though it
presents features OF wrong to the people as well
as to the country. 1t is but q result growing OUT
of perfectly palpable and apparent cause con-
stantly reproducing the same alarming circuni-
stances-a congested national treasury and de-
pleted monetary condition IN the business 1a the tue
present situation demands a remedy we can only
be saved from predicament in the future by
the removal Of the cause.
Our scheme of taxation by means OF which this
needless surplus ia taken from the people and
put into the public treasury, consists OF tariff
or duty levied upon importations from abroad
and internal revenue taxes levied upon tho con-
sumption OF tobacco anu spirituous ana mart
lixuors. 1t must be considered that none OF THESE
taxes relating to things subjected to internal rev.
enue taxation are. strictly speaking, necessary,
and it appears to be no just cause OF complalnt
OF the consumers OF the articles ana there seems
to be nothing so we'll able to bear the burden
without hardship to any portion OF the people,
But our present tariff laws, the various, IN
equitable and illegal source OF unnecessary ,a5-
aIion, ought to be at once revised and amended.
These laws. as their primary and PLAIN eect,raise
the price to consumers OF all articles imported
and subject to duty by preciselytne sum UNI PAD ior
ures the tax paid by those who purchase Tor use
these imported articles. Many of these things,
| however, are raised or manufactured in our own
| country and the duties now levied upon foreign
goods and products are called protection TO THESE
| home manufactures. because they render it pos
urers TO make these tax ed articles and sell them
| for price equal TO that demanded for the I'M
ported goods that have paid customs duty. 80 1t
ih sw use LAT the "I'' imporses i''' Article
| millions OF our people, who never use and never
saw any Of the foreign products, purchase and
use things of the same kind made in this coun-
| try, and pay therefore nearly or quite tho same
| enhanced price which the duty adds to the I'M
ported articles, Those who buy imports pay
| ury, but the great majority OF our citizens VINO
| buy domestic articles Of the same class pay a
sum at least approximately equal to its duty 70
| the home manufacturers This reference to the
operation of our tariff laws is not made by way
| OF instruction, but in order that we may be con-
|
impose burden upon those who consume do
| mestic products as well as those who consume
imported articles, and thus create q tax upon all
our people.
| 1t ia not proposed to entirely relieve the coun-
| try OF this taxation. Unjust be extensively con-
| tinued as the source Of the governments income;
md in 6 readjustment OF our tariff the interests
| Of American labor engaged III manufacture
should he carefully considered, as well as the
preservation Of our manufacturers. 1t may be
| called prote ctiop or by any other name, but re-
lief from the hardships and dongers of our pres
| ent tariff laws, should be DEVISED with especial
precauton against inlperiling the existence OF
our ma facturing interests. hut this existence
| should not mean condition which. without re-
gard to the public welfare national exigency,
must always insure the realization Of immense
profits instead OF moderately profitable returns.
As the volume and diversity OF our national ac-
tivties increase, new recruits are added To those
| who desire continuation OF the advantages
which they conceive the present system OF
| tariff taxation directly affords them. So stub
borny have all efforts to reform the present con-
dition been resisted by those OF our fellow-citi-
| zens thus engaged that they can hardly COM
plain of the suspicion, entertained to q certain
| extent. that there exists an organized combina-
| ton NIL along the line to maintain their advan-
We are in the midst OF centennial celebrations,
and with becoming pride we rejoice In American
| skill and ingenuity, In American energy and en-
| terprise und in tho wonderful natural advan-
| tages and resources developed by oepturys
national growth. Yet when an attempt is made
laid upon every consumer in the land FOR the BEN
| emit Of our manufacturers quite beyond
| sonabe demand for governmental regard, 1t suits
| the purposes of the manufacturers and infant
industries still needing the highest and greatest
| degree of favor and care that can be wrung from
| federal legislation. It is also said that the in
| crease in the price OF domestic manufactures
resulting from the present tariff is necessary in or
| der that higher wages may be paid than for what
| Is called pAuper labor in Europe. In oil we ac-
| knowledge the force OF an argument which in
| wolves the welfare and liberal compensation OF
| our laboring people, Our labor is honorable IN
/ anf Am ftron
the foundation OF our Development 1T Is entitled
| without affectation or hypocrisy TO the utmost
regard The standard OF our laborers lie should
| not be married by that of another country less
favored, and they are entitled to their full share
| Of our advantages.
| BY tho last census Il is made to appear that OF
the II, 3D., 900 of our population engaged in all
| kinds OF industries 1910, 493 employed in agr
culture, 4,O74.2ss in professional and personal
| and laborers), while 1,s1O,256 Employed in
| trade and transportation, and 1857 ,112 are
| classed as employed at manufacturing and min
ing. For present purposes, however, the latter
number should'be considerably reduced. Without
| attempting to enumerate ALL it will be conceded
| that there should be deducted from those which
IL includes BIS l43 carpenters and joiners 170
miiners dress makers and seamstresses l72. 126
blacksmihs, 133, 758 talors and tailoresses, 1W,
200 masoiis 20 2il butchers, 4i,3O9 bakers 2lS2
plasterers and dS01 manufacturing agricultural
Implements leaving ,623 089 persons employed in
manufacturing Industries as are claimed TO be
| benefited in high tariff.
| ployment and maintain their wages by resisting
| u change There should be no disposition to an
| swer such suggestions by the allegations that
| they are in a minority among those who
labor, aud therefore should forego an advantage
| In the interest of low prices for the majority.
Their compensation, as it may be affected by
the operations of tariff laws should at all times
be scrrpulousiy kept IN view and yet with
slight reflections they will not overlook the fact
that they are consumers with the rest; that
they too have their own wants apd those OF their
families to supply from their earnings, and that
the prices OF the necessaries OF life as well as the
amount of those wants will regulate the measure
of their welfare and comfort. But the reduction
of taxation demanded should be so measured as
not to necesstate or justify either the loss Of
employment by the workingman nor the lossen-
ing of his wages and the profits still remaining
to the manufactures after necessary rendJust-
ment should furnish no excuse for the sacrifice
of the interests OF his employers in either their
opportunity to work or the diminution OF their
compensation. Nor can the worker in manu-
features understand that while q high tariff Ia
claimed to be necessary to allow payment of re-
munerative wages. 10 certainly results in very
large increase in the price OF nearly oil sorts OF
manufactures, which, iu almost countless forms.
he needs for the use OF himsef and his family.
He receives at tho debk Of his employer his
wages, and perhaps before he reaches his home
IS obliged in purchase for his family nse OF an
article which embraces his own labor to return
In the payment Of the increasing price which
the tariff permits, the hard-earned compensation
| nft da ua NJ mi